A Dog's Perspective on Shock Collars Speaks Volumes, are We Listening?

Updated on October 9, 2016

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Gentle Tap on the Shoulder or Painful Shock?

Shock collars: when it comes to their use, the world seems to be literally split in two. One one hand, there are trainers who readily approve and advocate their use, on the other hand, there are trainers who find them totally unethical and inhumane. The effect of this training tool is also quite conflicting; indeed, some trainers claim it to be gentle as a "tap on the shoulder", whereas, others say it is more like a zap, a sensation similar to inserting a finger into an electrical outlet. To make things even more complicated, some trainers sugar-coat the term and call it "tap technology, or remote or static stimulation training ", while others are more blunt and call it "shock training, electric collar training or zap collar training".

Who is right? Instead of hearing what different trainers say, we should listen instead to a dog's perspective, because only dogs can tell us as they are ultimately the ones subjected to it, but since dogs cannot talk, the only way to deduce their thoughts is by looking at their body language upon being "zapped" which should speak volumes.

Dog Trained With Clicker

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Clicker Training From a Dog's Perspective

If dogs could talk what would they say about shock collars? Being spared from the gift of language, the only way to decipher their thoughts is by taking a look at their bodies. Dogs are masters in body language, and are capable of sending many messages towards those capable of effectively deciphering them. You can easily understand whether a dog is experiencing something pleasant or unpleasant by simply looking at its body. For instance, if you look at a dog in the process of being clicker trained, you will likely see the following:

Happy tail wagging

Excitement

Eagerness to learn

The offering of behaviors

Bright eyes

Lively expression

Ears kept naturally

Dog Trained With Shock Collar

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Shock Collar Training From a Dog's Perspective

When it comes to being trained with a shock collar, the picture is less rosy. According to a study conducted in 2003, by researchers Matthijs Schilder and Joanne van der Borg, 32 dogs receiving a total of 107 shocks demonstrated an immediate and direct effect by exhibiting vocal and non-vocal signals suggesting avoidance, pain and fear. Following are some of the effects observed.

Lowered body position

High-pitched yelps

Tongue flicks

Lowered Tail

Squealing

Turning head downwards or to the side in attempt to avoid the shock

Moving away

Crouching

Trembling

Sniffing the ground

Lifting front paw

Interestingly, the study came to the conclusion that dogs that were shocked in the experiment had also learned to associate the presence of their owner (or his commands) with receiving shocks, even out of the training context.

The Bottom Line

Call it remote training, tap technology or static stimulation training, electronic collars are certainly not welcomed from a dog's perspective. Karen Overall, a veterinarian specializing in animal behavior, also claims that when shock is used, there is always some damage, even if it is not readily observed.

No dog owner really needs to use a shock collar to achieve his or her goals. Shock collars are used to deliver punishment for unwanted behaviors, and, as seen in the study, put a significant dent in the dog and owner relationship and bond. While this type of training may be effective, it can be counterproductive as it comes with the risk of lasting side effects, so why not focus on rewarding wanted behaviors instead, so to create a better and stronger bond with the dog?

A remote controlled dog that responds mechanically is better off kept as a toy; a real dog is whole different story. Choose to have a real dog that loves to be trained and loves being around you because great things happen when you work together! Forget about shock; rather, make your training rock by investing in a reward-based training system! Your dog will be thankful for it!

References

Schilder, M., Van der Borg J. 2004. Training dogs with the help of the shock collar: short and long term behavioral effects. Applied Animal Behavioral Science 85, 319-344

Comments 4 comments

Seems to be common sense, do people liked to be shocked? I hope that we have evolved from causing pain to teach lessons.

alexadry 4 months ago from USA Author

Sadly, in my area there are several trainers who use shock and pet stores sell shock collars like hot cakes.

lawrence01 3 months ago from Hamilton, New Zealand

Alexadry

I remember looking at 'shock collars' when we got Barney, one look told me "No way" was I going to use it, even though he's a Cairn Terrier and supposed to be hard to train, we've never had any problems teaching new things (he's eight and still learning new tricks) and more importantly he talks to us all the time!

I'm a firm believer in the idea that animals do speak to their Human 'owners' (even our cats let us know what they think!) but the real problem comes in that we often don't have the time or patience to stop and learn their 'language'

Great hub here, and some good advice.

Blessings

Lawrence

alexadry 3 months ago from USA Author

Hello Lawrence01, happy to hear that you were able to train Barney and that he's proof that even old dogs can learn new tricks! Sounds like you have a great relationship and that you're a patient and loving owner. Kudos to both of you!